Editor's note: Gao Lei, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the Center for Xi Jinping Thoughts on Opening-up, Research Institute of Globalization and China's Modernization, University of International Business and Economics. Xia Lu, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate professor at the National Academy for Development and Strategy, the Academy of Xi Jinping Thoughts on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Renmin University of China. The article reflects the authors' opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On September 24, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, paid an inspecting tour to Zaozhuang, China's Shandong Province, on his way back to Beijing after his inspection tour to various localities of Zhejiang Province. In fact, in both coastal provinces, President Xi urged local governments and various sectors of the economy to make solid contribution to Chinese modernization, promote high-end, intelligent and green development of the manufacturing industry. 

More than four decades ago, as late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and his reform-minded cohort formulated China's modernization and the initial version of three-stage development strategy, China's coastal regions played important roles in making the initial steps as China launched the reform and opening-up in late 1970s and early 1980s. 

Nowadays, in the new journey toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, how do coastal regions continue to play equally significant roles in further promoting Chinese modernization? Here are some thoughts after reviewing President Xi's cross-provincial inspection tour.

To begin with, one needs to keep in mind that Chinese modernization is more something that ought to be acquired than something that has been obtained. Thus, to promote Chinese modernization is an exploratory undertaking, and there are still many unknown areas, which call for bold exploration in practice and promotion the great cause through reform and innovation.

As pioneers of China's reform and opening-up knew over four decades ago, there is no precedent for Chinese modernization, and the more it advances, the more unknown fields and unseen issues people face. And more importantly, the pursuit of Chinese modernization varies greatly from place to place.

As a large economic province with a large population, Shandong, similar to Zhejiang, enjoys some certain attributes with potential advantages such as the coordinated linkage of land and sea, the simultaneous growth of the three industrial sectors, and the coordinated development of urban and rural areas, which has made Shandong an important industrial base in China and a strategic fulcrum for the economic development of the northern coastal region.

The substantial improvement of people's livelihood is always a key measure of modernization. Local governments in Zhejiang and Shandong make common prosperity their priorities and strive to achieve the following goals:

First, people's income should be substantially increased. The official project targeting to increase residents' average income and the population of middle-income have been carried out for 10 years. Local governments also support various regions with the capacity to explore the construction of common prosperity pilot zones.

Second, public goods should be provided. Governments continue to optimize the supply of public services such as education, medical care, elderly care, and childcare, and to accelerate the construction of a national rural education revitalization pilot zone and a demonstration region for the integration of medical and elderly care.

In fact, to promote common prosperity, the most arduous and onerous task still lies in the rural areas. Scholars and officials all agree that rural revitalization now becomes the only practicable way to achieve common prosperity. As of 2020, for instance, Shandong has basically eliminated poverty in villages with collective income less than 30,000 yuan ($4,104), and in the next phase, all localities should promote high-quality Party branches to build an industrialized consortium of "leading enterprises + cooperatives + bases + farmers" in order to further strengthen the rural collective economy.

In so doing, not only will it promote the urbanization of certain regions, but it will also accelerate the narrowing of the gap between urban and rural areas and the gap in living standards, pushing forward the deep integration of urban and rural areas.

Prosperity in both material and spiritual aspects is the fundamental requirements of modernization. Shandong is one of the birthplaces of the fine traditional Chinese culture, particularly the birthplace of Confucianism, and thus has significant advantages in promoting the construction of a spiritual civilization.

Local governments in Shandong have made the following points as the focus.

First, moral level has been significantly improved. The project of "Shandong with virtue" in the new era has been carried out, polishing the image of "generous and virtuous Shandong people."

Second, innovations in cultural fields have achieved remarkable results. Governments have promoted the establishment of Nishan World Confucianism Center, built high-level cultural experience and cultural inheritance areas, and created a new benchmark for cultural innovation.

Third, the quality of cultural industries has upgraded. The brand "Hospitality in Shandong, Good Product of Shandong" has been strengthened, creating a cultural industries cluster worth 100 billion yuan and a world-famous cultural tourism destination.

The harmonious coexistence between mankind and nature is another important feature of modernization. Local governments in Shandong firmly implement the "Two Mountains Theory" proposed by President Xi and focus on achieving a series of goals.

First, working together on various economic activities. Local governments promote carbon emissions reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion and growth, and the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

Second, pollution control becomes more effective. Local governments push forward the protection of blue sky, clear water, and pure land, basically eliminate heavy air pollution.

Third, comprehensive ecological environment gets steadily improved. Adhering to the comprehensive governance of environment, local governments promote wetland restoration, ecological water replenishment and biodiversity conservation in the Yellow River Delta, and build a green ecological corridor in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Therefore, from the above-mentioned analysis, one can see that what Shandong has achieved so far and se that what the province will be doing will definitely contribute to achieve Chinese modernization.

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